The Nutcracker Riddle
by duplicitywrites
Summary: During a playful fight with his husband Tom, Harry accidentally gets knocked on the head and passes out. When he wakes up, Tom is dressed as a nutcracker, and is suddenly saying that Harry is something called 'The Chosen One', and that his destiny is to defeat 'The Snake King'… whoever that is. (COMPLETE.)
1. Godric's Kingdom

A/N:

this story takes place a year after the events of 'darling, can i call you home?'. while references to that story are made here, i think you can probably read this even if you haven't read its predecessor.

inspired heavily (obviously) by the nutcracker. a bit of phrasing in the prophecy is taken directly from the hp fanfic 'harry potter and the methods of rationality', because i thought it suited this story very well.

this work is completed and will be uploaded shortly over the next few days.

* * *

.

**THE NUTCRACKER RIDDLE**

**.**

* * *

**Part One: Godric's Kingdom**

* * *

Sirius had sent Harry and Tom a nutcracker for Christmas. This, on its own, was neither out of character nor cause for concern, as Sirius frequently enjoyed sending them the most random of things whenever he came across them. What was notable, however, was that the nutcracker looked exactly like Tom, right down to the little curl on its forehead.

"It's not that funny," Tom said, when Harry couldn't stop laughing.

"It's you," Harry said, snorting, "dressed in red. With a large hat. It's not just funny, it's perfect."

Tom had then threatened to chuck the thing into the fireplace, to which Harry had responded by pouting and clutching Nutcracker Tom close to his chest. This had resulted in the mature response of Tom trying to wrestle it away from him, and that was how they had ended up in a tussle on the floor of their quarters.

"Over my dead body," Harry said, keeping a firm hold on the toy as Tom made another grab for it.

Still trying to keep possession of the nutcracker as Tom continued to attempt to snatch it, Harry was forced to resort to more and more erratic movements. Eventually, they ended up in a heap on the rug by the fireplace, which was when the back of Harry's fist smacked into the wall. The nutcracker slipped from Harry's grasp and onto the floor, bouncing and skidding to a stop a few feet away.

They both stared at it, unmoving.

Suddenly, there was another loud thump, and Harry saw that the gauntlets that had been resting on their mantle were now falling directly towards him. Harry was partly pinned into place by Tom, who also had looked up at the noise, but the gauntlets, still encased in their magically-charmed glass, seemed unstoppable in their trajectory.

As the glass casing glanced off of his forehead, Harry felt a sharp pain stabbing into his brain. He only saw a brief flicker of the horror on Tom's face before his consciousness faded to away to endless black nothingness.

* * *

Harry woke to the feeling of a cold, dry hand pressed against his cheek. There was also a dull throb of pain in his forehead, like he'd taken a Bludger to the head during a Quidditch match.

"Hello, can you hear me?"

The voice was gentle and familiar, and the touch was kind, so Harry allowed himself to blink slowly a few times before he fully opened his eyes.

Tom was looking down at him in concern, though his form was a bit blurry. Harry realized that he was no longer wearing his glasses. They must have fallen off at some point, he thought to himself.

"Tom?" Harry asked, still feeling woozy as he sat up. "What happened? Did I pass out?"

Dark eyes stared back in confusion. "You fell and hit your head. How are you feeling?"

Harry rubbed at his face, trying to distinguish if he was actually injured, or if he was just bruised from hitting his head on the floor. "I think I'm alright, Tom. Where are my glasses?"

Tom made a noise, then pulled away momentarily. "Hold on, I think they're here." Then Harry felt the cold metal of his glasses frames pressed into his palm, so he shoved his glasses quickly onto his face.

"Better?" Tom asked, his hand now resting on Harry's forearm.

Harry blinked.

"Tom?" he asked again, because Tom was… he was dressed like the toy nutcracker. Tall black hat, brass-buttoned uniform with the gold trim, dark charcoal trousers. The uniform was even the same shade of red that the doll's had been, which threw Harry for a moment, because seeing Tom in colours other than green was always shocking to him.

"My name's not Tom," said… Tom. Or whoever it was.

Harry sat there, not saying anything, trying to decide if Tom was trying to put one over him, or if this was just some weird, eggnog-induced dream. It was then that he remembered the gauntlets from their mantleplace had landed on his head, and that it had been because he and Tom had been fighting over the nutcracker.

"My name is Riddle," the man who looked like Tom continued, offering his hand out. "And you must be Harry Potter."

Finally, Harry regained enough sense to look around. His head was throbbing a little, but he noticed that they were in the middle of a large clearing. He was surrounded on all sides by snow and trees. It reminded him a bit of the Forbidden Forest, come to think of it.

"Where am I?" Harry asked, deciding that this was, in fact, probably just a strange dream.

"You're in Godric's Kingdom," said Riddle. And Harry could see, then, that this man was obviously not Tom.

Or at least, Riddle wasn't _his _Tom, because his Tom was markedly different from the person who was kneeling before him. Tom would not have been caught dead wearing a hat as large as the one the nutcracker was wearing. This was Nutcracker Tom. Which meant that Harry was definitely asleep. Or that he'd gone crazy.

Harry took Riddle's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "How do you know my name?"

Riddle smiled, and the sight was so achingly reassuring that Harry had to look away again, back out at the blank snow. "You're the Chosen One, Harry. Everyone here knows your name."

"...Right," Harry said.

Riddle reached out again, this time to gently probe at Harry's forehead. "I think you're going to scar," Riddle said wonderingly.

Harry felt at the spot where Riddle had touched, winced, and withdrew his hand to see blood staining his fingertips.

"It's just a cut," Riddle said quickly. "But you may have a concussion. I saw you hit the ground fairly hard. You fell out of a tree."

Suddenly, there was the sound of barking in the distance. Riddle's face scrunched up, but he straightened and looked over in the direction of the noise. "Damn scoundrel," Riddle said. Then he shouted, "We're over here, you useless mutt!"

A large black dog came bounding out from the trees. It seemed very happy to see Harry—it trotted up and began to rub dog fur all over Harry's pyjama trousers.

"Sirius?" Harry asked, confused. He bent over to pet the dog's head anyways, noting that the soft fur felt… unnervingly realistic.

"This is Padfoot," said Riddle. "He won't quit following me around, so I'm stuck with him." He nudged at Padfoot with his boot. Padfoot opened his mouth in response, so that his tongue rolled out playfully. Harry noticed that there was indeed a tag hanging loosely from a rope around the dog's neck that declared him to be named 'Padfoot'.

Harry gave Padfoot another head scratch out of habit. This entire dream scenario was really going too far.

Padfoot wiggled away from Harry, his tail wagging as he whirled around to face Riddle.

"If you lick me again," Riddle warned, taking a step back, "I _will _stab you with my sword."

Padfoot whined at this, but ceased his approach. Then he perked back up again, turning towards the forest. Riddle stopped as well, looking in the same direction.

Harry paused, trying to listen. In the distance, it sounded like… sword fighting. Metal clashing against metal, accompanied by the sounds of shouting.

"We have to go," Riddle said suddenly, reaching over to grab Harry by the hand. "We need to go _now_."

And so they ran. Even though Harry was barefoot, the snow did not seem terribly cold beneath his feet. If anything, it felt as though he was walking on a very soft white blanket.

Riddle was keeping firm hold of Harry's hand, their fingers laced together as he led them both through the trees. Padfoot was running next to them, weaving in and out between the shrubbery so fast that there were small leaves and twigs clinging to his fur. Harry strained to listen again; the sounds of marching and fighting were getting closer.

Harry felt in his pockets for his wand. It was there, thankfully, so he pulled it out and aimed it at the path ahead.

"_Diffindo!_" he shouted, and was relieved to see a large branch ahead of them fall to the ground. His magic still worked here in the dream.

From where he was standing next to Harry, Riddle gaped, his mouth falling open. "You really _are _the Chosen One."

"I—" Harry started, but was cut off from answering, because the battle had finally arrived.

What he saw was by far more alarming than the sight of Tom Riddle dressed in gold and maroon.

There were large snakes dressed in metal armor fighting against what appeared to be gigantic gingerbread men holding broadswords.

Harry reached his free hand up to pinch at his arm. Nothing happened.

"Alright," Riddle said, releasing Harry and pushing his way ahead. "Get behind me and I will protect you. Should I fall, you must take Padfoot and reach Godric's Castle without me." Then he pulled out his own sword and fell into a dueling stance.

This Riddle was really more of a Gryffindor, Harry thought to himself fondly. Riddle looked every inch the handsome, dashing movie hero in his ridiculous nutcracker outfit. "I think I'll be alright," Harry said, positioning himself in a similar stance. "I'm guessing the snakes are the enemies?"

"They are creatures made by the Snake King," Riddle said, taking a bold step forward. "He is the only one who can command them."

Wand held aloft, Harry eyed the snakes curiously. Upon closer inspection, they looked very much like the colourful snakes that Tom had gotten the Weasley children for Christmas last year. He could see the two snakes that belonged to Rose and Hugo amongst the combatants.

Deciding he really had nothing to lose, Harry held his wand up to his throat and cast the Voice-Amplification Charm. Then, carefully keeping his gaze on the snakes, he hissed out, "_Ssstop._"

The battle halted immediately. A few of the gingerbread soldiers even fell over as their swords failed to connect to where they had expected their targets to be.

After his birthday last year, Tom had taken it upon himself to teach Harry a few words and commands in Parseltongue. Harry had never thought that they would come in handy for anything other than their occasional use in seducing his ridiculous husband, but apparently being able to speak to snakes had its uses in dreamland.

"Incredible," Riddle breathed. He relaxed his pose, his sword now loose at his side. "That was absolutely incredible, Harry."

Padfoot barked in agreement, jumping up to place his paws on Harry's chest, panting his smelly dog breath into Harry's face. Then he leapt back down, trotting over towards the gingerbread men, pacing around them as though he was monitoring their actions.

Riddle reached for Harry's hand again, his expression delighted. "You're going to save the kingdom," Riddle said reverently. "I knew you were special from the moment I saw you."

Harry, watching as the gingerbread soldiers began to round up the docile snakes, decided that now was as good a time as any to ask. "What, exactly, is the Chosen One supposed to do?"

"You don't know?" Riddle asked, his face falling slightly. "Well, I suppose you might not. The Chosen One is a hero of prophecy, Harry. The Royal Seer, also known as the Sugar Plum Fairy, declared that a man named Harry Potter would be the one to defeat the Snake King and restore Godric's Kingdom to peace and prosperity."

"Who is the Snake King?" Harry asked.

"We do not speak his name," Riddle said darkly, frowning. "He is an evil man, Harry. More inhuman than the creatures he sends to slaughter our people."

"But who is he?" Harry insisted. He had the strange feeling that Riddle was hiding something from him, and this suspicion was only confirmed when he saw Riddle's jaw stiffen.

Then Riddle looked away from Harry, his eyes moving to where the snakes were now all tied up together.

"How am I supposed to defeat him, if I don't know anything about him?" Harry asked, more gently this time.

"You don't need to know anything about him," Riddle said, his gaze snapping back to Harry. "Now, come. We must make haste to Godric's Castle."

This time, Harry held out his hand first. Riddle took it, entwining their fingers together, and they set off once again.


	2. The Animagus King

_"Who is the Snake King?" Harry asked. _

_ "We do not speak his name," Riddle said darkly, frowning. "He is an evil man, Harry. More inhuman than the creatures he sends to slaughter our people." _

_ "But who is he?" Harry insisted. He had the strange feeling that Riddle was hiding something from him, and this suspicion was only confirmed when he saw Riddle's jaw stiffen. _

_ Then Riddle looked away from Harry, his eyes moving to where the snakes were now all tied up together. _

_ "How am I supposed to defeat him, if I don't know anything about him?" Harry asked, more gently this time. _

_ "You don't need to know anything about him," Riddle said, his gaze snapping back to Harry. "Now, come. We must make haste to Godric's Castle." _

_ This time, Harry held out his hand first. Riddle took it, entwining their fingers together, and they set off once again. _

* * *

**Part Two: The Animagus King**

* * *

The walk to the castle seemed faster now that there was no more immediate danger. Harry could see the towers in the distance, and he was not surprised that, when they broke free of the foliage, the castle looked remarkably like Hogwarts.

Riddle paused at the edge of the forest, just before the bridge that led up to the castle. Below them, Harry could see the Great Lake, looking just like the original, albeit in a different place than Harry was used to. Padfoot seemed excited to be here, though; he was running around and around in circles, like he was impatient for them to arrive.

When they reached the end of the bridge, Riddle swallowed, eyeing the large castle door with a somber gaze. "I haven't been back here in… a long time," he said quietly.

"It will be alright," Harry said reassuringly. "You have me with you."

That made Riddle smile, just a bit, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly. "I suppose I do, I—"

Padfoot barked loudly then, cutting Riddle off. The castle doors were opening, and two knights were approaching them.

Harry went to draw his wand again, but Riddle stopped him, placing an arm across Harry's torso in warning. "They're safe, Harry," said Riddle, his face now blank once more. "We just need to tell them who you are. Let me do all the talking and everything will be fine."

The knights were closer now, and Harry could make out the red hair beneath the helmets. They were bickering in low tones as they approached, but stopped once they were standing in front of Harry, Riddle, and Padfoot.

The shorter of the two knights coughed and elbowed their companion.

"Hello," said the taller knight, whose voice Harry identified as that of Ron. "What brings you to Godric's Castle?"

"I've come with the Chosen One, Harry Potter, the man destined to defeat the Snake King," Riddle said, enunciating clearly.

The two knights exchanged a glance, and then the shorter knight—Ginny—removed her helmet. "The Chosen One?" she asked. "Is that really him?"

"I doubt it," Ron said, sounding skeptical. "We're just supposed to believe that? We know who you are, Riddle. No one's seen you 'round here in years. This could be just any bloke with green eyes."

Riddle stiffened. Harry tried to squeeze his hand, to let Riddle know that he wasn't alone, but Riddle pulled his hand away, his gaze fixed on Ron.

"Show them your forehead, Harry," said Riddle.

It took Harry a moment to understand what he was being asked to do, but he obediently raised his hand, pushing the fringe of his hair up.

Ginny gasped. "He has the scar," Ginny said in a whisper. "The lightning bolt scar."

Confused, Harry touched at the place where he'd been injured, and was startled to feel raised scar tissue underneath his fingertips, as though the wound was years old.

"So you see," Riddle said sharply, "I am not lying."

Ron looked reluctant still, Harry noted. "Don't think you're forgiven," Ron said. "But we'll take you to the Sugar Plum Fairy, and she can decide what to do with you."

Padfoot barked again, this time happily, and trotted past Ron and Ginny into the castle. Harry and Riddle followed, with Ron and Ginny bringing up the rear.

The layout of the inside of the castle was different than that of Hogwarts, though the floor and corridors all looked the same. It took a few turns for Harry to realize that they were headed towards the Great Hall.

Riddle was quiet as they walked, still not looking at Harry. Harry wanted to reach out, to take Riddle's hand again, but he wasn't sure how it would be received, and he was hesitant to do anything now that Ron was being so indifferent towards them.

"Harry!"

It was Luna's voice that broke Harry out of his thoughts. They were now entering the Great Hall. Luna was seated in the Headmistress' chair at the staff table. She was wearing a large, frilly purple ball gown that was decorated with radishes, and her hair was piled up into a decorative beehive on her head.

"Luna?" Harry asked, confused. "You know who I am?"

Standing, Luna jumped up and over the table, somehow managing to keep her dress in one piece. "Of course I do, Harry. You're my friend." She walked up to him and took both of his hands in hers. "I suppose it might be confusing for you, as you're not from this place. But you _ are _ here to save our realm from the Snake King."

"Can you—can you tell me who he is?" Harry asked. "The Snake King."

Luna only smiled sadly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid that story is not mine to tell, Harry."

Padfoot came walking up, butting his large head against Luna's fluffy dress.

"Oh!" Luna exclaimed, eyes widening. "Sirius, you misbehaving dog. We've been looking for you, you know."

Whining, Padfoot rose up onto his hind legs, pressing his dirt-covered paws against the side of Luna's dress. Though her dress was now soiled, Luna did not seem very bothered by it, instead she chose to scratch Sirius lightly behind the ears.

"Harry," Luna said. "I think he wants you to turn him back now."

"Turn him—?" Harry looked at Padfoot, no, _ Sirius_. Retrieving his wand, Harry held it loosely in hand, eyeing the large black dog. "He's an Animagus?"

"The Snake King placed him under a curse," Luna said softly. "None of us are able to reverse it."

Padfoot pulled away from Luna, moving to sit down in front of Harry.

So Harry cast the spell to reverse an Animagus transformation, his wand moving easily through the motions, the magic flowing through him as he directed his will to the task of returning Sirius to normal.

In short order, Sirius was seated, cross-legged and in human form, on the floor.

"Thank Godric," Sirius said, stretching his neck out. "Do you know just how long I've been cooped up like that? Forced to eat rats, because this git—" Here Sirius nodded his head at Riddle, then continued, "—thought people food was bad for me!"

"Human food isn't for dogs," Riddle said, sounding irritated. "And how was I supposed to know you weren't actually a dog?"

Sirius stood, walking over to give Luna a proper hug. "You are my hero," Sirius said to her. And then he turned to look at Harry. "And you as well, I suppose. The Chosen One."

Harry offered a weak smile. "At your service," he said. Then he looked around, because Ron and Ginny had both been oddly silent through this entire conversation. It was then that he noticed both Weasleys were kneeling, their heads bowed low.

"Your Highness—" Ron began.

"Hey," said Sirius. "None of that. Come here, you two." Stepping forwards and tugging both Ron and Ginny to their feet, Sirius enveloped them both into a group hug.

"You smell," Ginny said. "Go take a bath."

Sirius sniffed. "Your king has been gone for months and this is how you treat him?"

"Yes," said Ginny, "because you stink."

"Excuse me," Harry said awkwardly. "But I'm still not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be doing here."

Sirius glanced over at Harry, then at Riddle. "You're the one who is supposed to bring peace back to our lands, Harry."

"We'll get you suited up," Ron said eagerly. "And then we'll go confront the Snake King."

"Wait, wait," Riddle said, moving to place himself in front of Harry, as though to shield him from the others. "You can't just send him off to face—to face _ him_. Harry's only just gotten here, he doesn't know everything yet—"

"You can come if you want, Riddle," said Sirius. "If that makes you feel any better about it all. But I'm not about to let this war go on for any longer than it has to. Ginny, organize whoever is left. We're marching on Gaunt Manor tonight."

* * *

Ron led Harry out of the Great Hall and back into the corridor.

"We've got all our extra armor and weapons in a separate room," Ron was saying. "It has everything you could possibly need."

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Riddle, who was following close behind them. But Riddle, despite looking reluctant, did not try to interject again, and so instead the three of them made their way to the fifth floor, where the Room of Requirement was.

The door was already there when they arrived. Ron pulled it open, gesturing them through.

The inside of the room was what Harry would have expected an armory to look like. There were weapons of all sorts, and large shields with the Gryffindor crest on them. Swords of all lengths, and a selection of bows and arrows. There were also some suits of armor lined up along one of the walls, each of them with the same Gryffindor crest stamped on them.

"Take anything you like," Ron said. "Anything you think you might need. That goes for you as well, Riddle."

Riddle scowled, but went to pry a sword off of the wall, replacing the one he already had attached to his belt.

Harry didn't really think he needed anything aside from his wand, but then his eyes fell upon a crystal dagger with an emerald-encrusted silver handle. It seemed too obviously out of place not to take, so Harry reached for it, stuffing it into his pocket.

Ron eyed Harry's pyjamas with an expression full of doubt. "We'll have to get you a change of clothes," Ron said. "I think I'm probably too much taller than you are, but you might be able to fit some of Sirius' old things."

So eventually Harry found himself dressed in more layers than he'd known previously existed. He assumed most of it was simply medieval, and therefore foreign to him, but it was still a little odd to be wearing what was essentially clothing made for royalty.

Everything he was wearing was in red and gold, and overall it reminded Harry most closely of the outfit Tom had designed for their wedding day.

"That's better," Ron said, examining Harry's new look. "You look like a proper hero, now."

"He looks like a younger version of Sirius," Riddle said, rolling his eyes. "But I suppose if you like that sort of thing, it works."

"I've got to go meet up with my sister," Ron said. "Can you two find your way back to the entrance?"

"Of course we can," Riddle snapped. "I know my way around the castle."

Ron shot Riddle a glare, then turned and walked away.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Harry said, once Ron was gone.

Riddle looked at him. "You're going," Riddle said pointedly.

"Well, yes," Harry said. "Because of all that 'Chosen One' stuff. I sort of have to, don't I?"

"You don't have to," Riddle said suddenly, his gaze intent. He took Harry's hand in his, stroking Harry's wrist with his thumb. "You and I, we could leave right now, and no one would need to know. We could leave this place and seek another kingdom somewhere far away. I could keep you safe, Harry, I promise."

Harry was distracted by Riddle's sudden change in mood. "But you wanted to take me here," Harry said, bewildered. "You said I was going to save _ this _ kingdom."

"I know I did," Riddle said impatiently. His other hand lifted up to cup Harry's cheek. "But that was before—before—" Riddle visibly shuddered, then continued, "I don't want you to go to Gaunt Manor, Harry. You won't like what you find there."

Harry considered this. If this was a dream—and Harry was really hoping this was a dream, because the alternative was too insane to contemplate—then the fact that this Snake King lived in Gaunt Manor had to mean something. Perhaps it would be Marvolo Gaunt waiting for them at the manor. The man who had abused Tom's mother for most of her tragically short life was a good candidate for the evil monster that Harry needed to defeat.

"It's okay," Harry said, moving his free hand to Riddle's face, so that they were mirroring each other. "No matter what happens, we'll be there together."

Riddle took a deep breath, his other hand still holding tightly to Harry's. "Promise?" Riddle demanded. "Promise that you won't leave me, whatever you may see."

"I promise," Harry said. He doubted that there was anything in the world that would ever make him abandon Tom's side, dream-version or not.

Riddle still looked apprehensive, but he leaned down to press his forehead to Harry's, keeping their gazes locked together. "No matter what," Riddle said softly, and the hand that held Harry's face slid underneath his chin, tilting Harry's head upwards so that their lips could meet.

The kiss was soft and chaste, like the ones Harry and Tom typically shared in the afterglow of a particularly romantic night together, and when Riddle pulled away, he was smiling so wide that Harry could see little dimples on either side of his face.

Harry smiled back. This man wasn't exactly the same as his Tom, but Harry could see the pieces of his husband that made up the nutcracker soldier standing before him. There were no parts of Tom that Harry did not accept and love, and so there was great fondness in Harry's heart for Riddle, too.

Riddle brought their joined hands up and brushed his lips against Harry's knuckles. "We will do this together," Riddle said, sounding confident for the first time since they had arrived at Godric's Castle. "And we will succeed."


	3. Gaunt Manor

_Riddle still looked apprehensive, but he leaned down to press his forehead to Harry's, keeping their gazes locked together. "No matter what," Riddle said softly, and the hand that held Harry's face slid underneath his chin, tilting Harry's head upwards so that their lips could meet. _

_ The kiss was soft and chaste, like the ones Harry and Tom typically shared in the afterglow of a particularly romantic night together, and when Riddle pulled away, he was smiling so wide that Harry could see little dimples on either side of his face. _

_ Harry smiled back. This man wasn't exactly the same as his Tom, but Harry could see the pieces of his husband that made up the nutcracker soldier standing before him. There were no parts of Tom that Harry did not accept and love, and so there was great fondness in Harry's heart for Riddle, too. _

_ Riddle brought their joined hands up and brushed his lips against Harry's knuckles. "We will do this together," Riddle said, sounding confident for the first time since they had arrived at Godric's Castle. "And we will succeed." _

* * *

**Part Three: Gaunt Manor**

* * *

Sirius, Ginny, and Ron were all waiting outside, along with many other familiar faces. Everyone was clad in varying degrees of armor, but what was strange was that not only was Sirius wearing a glittering gold crown upon his head, but he was also wearing Godric Gryffindor's gauntlets. Harry found it rather amusing that Remus' prediction from last year had partially come true, albeit in one of Harry's dreams rather than in reality.

Harry was actually able to pick out Remus in the crowd, along with Neville and Hermione, before Ron came over and directed Harry over to a large grey dapple horse.

"This is Buckbeak," Ron said, gesturing.

Harry decided it was in his best interests not to question why a horse had a name with the word 'beak' in it, and instead clambered on without comment.

Riddle was seated on his own steed, a beautiful ebony horse with a glossy mane. When he caught Harry staring at him, he smiled slightly. Harry could tell Riddle was still a bit nervous about leaving for Gaunt Manor, but was remaining stoic so as to not show any weakness to the other knights gathered around them.

"Listen here," Sirius said loudly, over all the commotion. "Everyone, this is Harry Potter, the Chosen One. He was the one who returned me to my human form, and he has agreed to help us defeat the Snake King. We should be arriving at Gaunt Manor shortly before nightfall. Once we get there, Harry, Riddle, Ginny, Ron, and I will seek out the Snake King, and the rest of you will hold back his army."

There was a chorus of agreement, and then they all set back off through the forest.

The forest looked different in the dim light of the afternoon. The tall trees and thorny bushes, even though they were covered in snow, seemed more… sinister. So Harry tried to remain alert and focused as they rode through the forest, because he had the strange feeling that they were being watched. He kept a firm grasp on Buckbeak's reins, and had his wand at the ready, just in case they were attacked.

Riddle was riding a bit behind him, and it was only belatedly that Harry realized Riddle was trying to protect his flank, the same way that Ron and Ginny were doing as they rode behind Sirius.

Harry wanted to tell Riddle that he was perfectly capable of protecting himself, but he had the feeling that Riddle didn't particularly care what he thought about whether he was being protected or not.

Sirius had pulled out a compass, and seemed to be checking it against some map he had. "Just a bit further," he said. "Is everyone ready? There's still time to turn around; I won't ask anyone to give up their lives for this if they don't want to."

There was a pause of silence, and then Neville shouted, "For Godric!", and his cheer was taken up by the crowd.

Harry hoped that the worst of what waited for them at Gaunt Manor was simply more snakes, because that would make this a lot easier. He should hate to see any of his friends get hurt, even though this was only a dream.

Sirius pulled up next to Harry, his expression pensive. "I feel I should warn you about a few things before we get too close," Sirius told him.

Harry resisted the urge to snap back rudely. No one was telling him anything, and now Sirius was only telling him things at the last possible moment. "Okay," Harry said. "Let's hear it."

"The Snake King has plagued our land for many years," Sirius said. "He has a large snake called the Basilisk at his command. It protects him from attack. None of our swords can harm it, though many of us have tried. We are hopeful that you, with your magical powers, will be able to slay the beast, therefore giving us the opportunity to kill the Snake King once and for all."

Harry thought he might be able to tell the Basilisk to just stop attacking, but he figured it probably wouldn't be that easy, especially if this Snake King spoke Parseltongue, too.

"They say the Snake King wears a locket around his neck," Sirius continued. "And that within this locket is the item that ties him to this mortal realm. Without it, he will die. So our secondary goal, after slaying the Basilisk, is to obtain the locket and its hidden item. The prophecy says that once we get the locket and open it, you must crush whatever lies inside of it. Only then will we be able to destroy all but a remnant of the Snake King."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said, for the lack of anything better to add. One look at Riddle showed that the nutcracker was staring straight ahead, deliberately ignoring the conversation at hand. Harry sighed, wishing that the dream could end without any further distress on Riddle's part.

Once they were close enough, Sirius gestured for them all to dismount. They tied their horses to the trees along the edge of the forest, and then proceeded on foot towards their destination. Riddle stayed close to Harry, their footfalls nearly synchronized as they stomped across the snowy grounds, a small army of two marching to battle.

* * *

Gaunt Manor stood tall and proud, though it looked much like any other creepy, haunted mansion Harry had seen at the movies or read about in books. It was pure black, save for the thin blanket of snow that covered it, and there was a distinctly dark, eerie feel lingering in the air around them. The silence was suffocating, and Harry wished that something would _ happen_, purely so that they could all resume making noise again.

Riddle reached up to take Harry's hand, as he usually did. His other hand was occupied with the sword he was holding.

Harry lifted his wand hand and cast a silent _ Lumos_. Some of the knights around him gasped at the sight of his wand lighting up, but then everything relapsed into silence once more.

Sirius made a gesture in the air, and the large group of people behind them split in two, each half moving to circle around the manor. That left Riddle, Harry, and Sirius with Ron and Ginny.

"You have to open the door," Sirius said to Harry. "It won't respond to anyone else."

Harry walked up to the front doors of the mansion. Riddle was right behind him, breathing quietly. Then Riddle's hand gently touched the small of Harry's back, as though to steady himself for what was to come.

The doorknob had an ornate snake wound around it. Harry reached for it, twisted it, and found that the door opened without resistance.

That was when the hissing started, and Harry heard some of the knights starting to scream in the background.

Alarmed, Harry took a few steps back, bumping into Riddle in the process, but Sirius came up to his side, shoving him forwards.

"We have to defeat the Snake King," Sirius said urgently. "Or else the snakes will only continue to multiply."

So they made their way into the entrance hall, which was pitch black save for the light still emanating from Harry's wand. Harry could see a wide staircase that led up to the second floor, but the reach of his wandlight ended there, and he was not so sure what else lay ahead.

Then a door above them suddenly opened, and five cloaked figures wearing strange metal masks stepped into view. The entrance hall lit up as they did so, candles flickering to life around the figures as they descended down the front staircase.

"Death Eaters," spat Ginny, and then she charged forwards with her sword, Ron following her lead.

"Get behind me," Riddle said fiercely, once again trying to shove Harry behind him.

"I can fight," Harry protested, but his words were drowned out by the sound of Ron and Ginny engaging in combat.

The three remaining Death Eaters came towards Harry, Tom, and Sirius, their masks glinting dangerously. Sirius charged next, and Harry was hard pressed to aim his wand and try to follow any of the action, lest he fire a spell and hit one of his friends.

Riddle was now clashing swords with one of the final two Death Eaters, which left one for Harry to fight.

The Death Eater approached Harry slowly, menacingly, its sword raised high. So Harry raised his wand into a starting position and then cast, "_Stupefy!_"

There was a flash of red spellfire, then the Death Eater was blasted off of its feet and into the banister, where it lay very still.

Turning his attention to the others, Harry noted that Ginny had already disarmed her opponent and was now backing them into a wall. Ron and Sirius were still fighting, but they were doing alright, so Harry looked back at Riddle and saw that the idiot had gotten his arm injured somehow.

"_Stupefy!_" Harry cast, aiming carefully, and he nailed the Death Eater right in the stomach.

Harry ran up to Riddle, who was bleeding from a deep gash on his arm. The blood had seeped right into his uniform, blending with the bright red fabric.

"I'm fine," Riddle said. "I was doing fine. I was just about to finish him."

Ignoring Riddle's bluster, Harry pressed the tip of his wand to the cut and cast a healing spell. The wound sealed up, scabbing over.

Riddle eyed his healed arm, twisting it experimentally. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you do things like that."

Harry gave Riddle a quick smile, then went to check on the others. He helped Ginny tie up her opponent by casting a quick "_Incarcerous!"_, and then cast a Stunner towards the Death Eater that was facing Ron.

Sirius had already disarmed his opponent and was holding them at swordpoint when Harry came over to tie them up as well.

"Nifty trick, that," Sirius said, watching as the ropes materialized into existence, binding the Death Eater's limbs together. "Now let's go and find the Snake King."

So their group proceeded up the tall, wide staircase. There were no candles up at the top, so Harry relit his wand, placing himself at the front so that everyone could see.

"This way," said Sirius, and they all turned left.

"This is eerie," Ron said. "I've never been inside the manor before."

Indeed, there were snake motifs all over the patterned wallpaper, along with strange runes that Harry did not recognize, even from the years he'd spent in Ancient Runes class with Tom. As Harry watched the snakes, they began to move, slithering along the walls and following Harry's progress as he walked.

"Spooky," Ginny said, eyeing the wallpaper. "I wonder what makes them do that?"

As they continued down the hallway, Harry started to get a bad feeling in his gut. The hallway was growing narrower and narrower, until it was only wide enough for two people to stand side by side. Of course, Riddle had moved his way up to stand next to Harry, which left Ron and Ginny at the rear once more, and Sirius sandwiched in between the two pairs. They kept on walking, but the close proximity of the walls was starting to make Harry feel claustrophobic.

"I don't like this," Riddle said in a low voice. "Something seems wrong."

Harry grimaced, not liking the fact that Riddle was confirming his suspicion that something was off.

Then, all of a sudden, Ron _ screamed_, and Harry whirled around to see that one of the doors in the narrow hallway had opened up, and someone was attempting to pull Ron through the doorway. The corridor was now so skinny that there was barely any room to move, let alone swing a sword, and, because everyone was packed so closely together, Harry couldn't aim past Sirius to get Ron's attacker.

"No, you don't!" Ginny shouted, grabbing onto Ron's arm.

Whoever it was pulled harder, and both Weasleys went tumbling through the door, which shut itself behind them with a loud bang.

Sirius scrambled for the door, turning the knob, but the door wouldn't open.

"Stand back," Harry said. And then he aimed at the doorknob and said, "_Alohomora!_"

The knob coughed, and then a cloud of thick, black smoke oozed out of the lock. Sirius reached out tentatively to try the door again, but it still failed to open.

"We'll just… have to keep going," Sirius said faintly. "They'll be alright. The Weasleys are tough kids."

"Let's go," Riddle said, his voice grim. He took Harry gently by the arm and guided him forwards. "We'll be able to save them if we stop the Snake King."

"Remember," Sirius said. "Keep your gaze down, or the Basilisk will get you with its eyes."

So they ran down the corridor, now even more determined than before. Harry wasn't even sure what would happen to these dream versions of Ron and Ginny if he failed to defeat this Snake King, but he had to at least try to stop further disaster from occurring.

The corridor narrowed impossibly as they went, until Riddle was running almost directly behind Harry. But Harry could see the door just ahead, and this time he cast a preemptive spell, so that they could at least have the element of surprise.

"_Bombarda!_"

The door blew open and Harry charged in, wand at the ready, both Riddle and Sirius at his heels.


	4. Voldemort

A/N: tw for snakes in this chapter!

* * *

_The corridor narrowed impossibly as they went, until Riddle was running almost directly behind Harry. But Harry could see the door just ahead, and this time he cast a preemptive spell, so that they could at least have the element of surprise. _

_ "Bombarda!" _

_ The door blew open and Harry charged in, wand at the ready, both Riddle and Sirius at his heels. _

* * *

**Part Four: Voldemort**

* * *

The room Harry had blasted them into was as dark as the rest of the manor, except there was a large, silver throne placed up against the back wall that was lit with a creepy green light. Seated upon the throne was a tall man wearing a dark, hooded cloak.

"Harry Potter," said the man. His voice was high, cold, and unerringly familiar, which sent an involuntary shiver down Harry's spine. "The Chosen One, come to save Godric's Kingdom at last."

"That's me," Harry said flippantly. He noted that the man's hands, which were pale and white, were empty. No wand meant no magic, at the least. So Harry would only have to deal with the Basilisk. Which, admittedly, was a pretty difficult task all on its own.

The chalk white hands moved up to lift the hood of the cloak off, revealing a terrible sight. Dark red eyes that glowed, and thin, reptilian slits instead of a nose. White, hairless skin that was so thin and colourless that you could see the veins underneath. But what made the Snake King truly horrible to look at was not his inhuman appearance. Rather, it was the traces of humanity that Harry _ could _ see lingering beneath the surface.

The high cheekbones, the sharp jaw. The curve of his smirk, though there were no lips to frame it properly. It was Tom's face—_Riddle's _ face—that stared at Harry from across the inky darkness of the throne room, and Harry couldn't breathe.

Riddle made a soft, wounded noise as he caught the look of horror on Harry's face.

"Voldemort," Sirius spat out the name like it was a curse, and Harry flinched at the sound.

The Snake King—Voldemort—laughed at him. "Brave son of Godric, you foolish man. Who have you brought to their deaths this time? You have Harry Potter, I can see that well enough, but ah, yes, who else—?"

Then Voldemort's gaze finally fell upon Riddle, whose entire body was quivering from head to toe. "You," Voldemort hissed. "You _ coward_."

It was then that the large snake appeared from beneath the hem of Voldemort's robes. Voldemort hissed something that Harry did not understand, and then the snake moved forwards, directly towards where Riddle was standing. Riddle staggered back a step, shocked, his face ashen as he forced his gaze up to the ceiling. His grip on his sword slackened, and it clattered noisily to the ground.

"You should have stayed hidden," Voldemort continued, sneering. "And I would have let you live your life in peace. But now you have placed yourself so temptingly within my reach, and I shall have no choice but to capture you once and for all. Voldemort does not offer second chances."

"No," Harry said, loudly and clearly. He took a step forward, raising his wand up, keeping his eyes firmly locked at the ceiling. "You won't lay a hand on him."

"Harry," protested Riddle, his voice weak.

They could all hear the snake sliding slowly across the floor.

Despite his bravado, Harry was starting to panic. He knew a Basilisk's skin was spell resistant, which meant that his only hope was to restrain it or blind it somehow, so that Sirius could perhaps kill it with his sword.

But how to aim when he could not see?

Perhaps he could just fire blindly and hope for the best.

So Harry cast _ Incarcerous _ three times rapidly in the direction of the Basilisk.

There was the sound of ropes hitting the floor, and then an irritated hissing sound. Harry decided he could take a small risk. Retrieving the dagger from his pocket, Harry angled the blade towards where the hissing had come from, and was surprised to see that the ropes had somehow pulled the Basilisk into a pretzel shape. Its head was also writhing in place, as there was a section of rope that was bound over its eyes.

Harry had the sneaking suspicion that the only reason he'd been able to pull that off was because this was a dream, but he didn't want to question his good fortune any further. He strode quickly over to where the snake lay and stuck the blade down its throat, cutting up cleanly through the head, being careful to avoid its fangs. Its body twitched and spasmed for a moment, then went still.

"Hah!" said Sirius. "Take that, you snake-faced bastard."

Harry put the dagger away and looked back at Voldemort, who had risen from his throne, looking enraged at the death of his precious creature. The locket that Sirius had mentioned was hanging from Voldemort's neck.

It was modelled after the Slytherin locket that Tom owned, Harry realized sadly. Though the actual locket part looked bigger than usual, as though an Engorgement Charm had been cast on it. Harry wondered what it was that lay inside, but then Voldemort raised a hand, and a dozen colourful snakes shot out from his robes, landing upon the floor.

"_Ssstop_," Harry hissed.

The snakes paused, confused. Then Voldemort hissed at them again, and this time Harry was only able to understand the word 'attack'.

Harry hissed back for the snakes to stop, but they didn't listen. Swearing under his breath, Harry began to cast _ Incarcerous _ again, trying to round up as many snakes as possible. Sirius had also started to move, slicing at the snakes with his sword, and Riddle picked his sword up off the floor, joining in.

But Voldemort seemed able to constantly generate more snakes with the mere gesture of his hand, and soon Harry and his companions were beginning to get overwhelmed. Harry was also starting to feel magically exhausted from casting so many spells repeatedly in such a short span of time, even though they were relatively low-powered ones.

So it was not long until Sirius fell, and then Riddle, both of their arms and legs bound by snakes as they were forced to their knees.

Harry was still casting spells, trying vainly to hold back the tide. Sweat had broken out on his forehead, but he wasn't about to give up so easily.

Voldemort was watching Harry closely, looking interested, like Harry was a particularly unique pet doing parlour tricks. Then, after a few minutes of this, Voldemort spoke, hissing at the snakes again. The snakes went still almost immediately.

Though he tried to hide it, Harry was panting for breath as he watched the remaining snakes retreat. The snakes that were wrapped around Riddle and Sirius were still there, and so Harry began thinking of ways for him to try and free them.

"You are a valiant fighter," Voldemort said, sounding pleased. "And a worthy adversary. You would make an even worthier ally."

Harry had heard this speech dozens of times in movies, and he wasn't very interested in hearing it now. "I'm not going to join you," Harry bit out. "If you let my friends go, then I might be willing to talk about terms."

"Hmm." Voldemort toyed idly with the locket resting on his chest. "If I were to let your friends go, what would you do for me, Chosen One?"

That made Harry hesitate. He didn't really know what he had to offer, and he certainly wasn't about to agree to join Voldemort. "What do you want?" Harry ventured carefully.

"Harry, no—!" Riddle started, but a snake crawled over his mouth, gagging him. He continued to struggle, his brow creased in anger as he stared defiantly at his counterpart.

Though he wanted to ease Riddle's fears, Harry forced himself to look back at Voldemort.

"What do I want?" Voldemort grinned mirthlessly. "I want a great many things. Your head on a platter would be a very good start, however."

"And I want the locket," Harry said. "If you agree to let everyone go and not to harm them, and to give them the locket, then I'll surrender myself to you willingly."

Voldemort seemed to consider this, tapping one long finger against his chin as if he was deep in thought.

Riddle was still trying to protest around the snake covering his mouth, and had actually fallen over onto the floor in his desperate attempts to reach Harry.

"Very well," Voldemort said, after a moment. "Your friends and the locket for yourself. I accept your offer."

"Release them first," Harry said quickly, before his nerves could fail him. "And… and let me say goodbye."

Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue again, and the snakes released Riddle and Sirius.

"No," Riddle said furiously, clambering to his feet and storming over towards Harry, pulling Harry into his arms. "_No_. I will not allow you to do this, Harry. You cannot give yourself up to him."

"It's going to be fine," Harry said, not sure how to tell Riddle that there was no real threat to his safety, because this was only a dream. Harry was sure that if Voldemort did try to kill him, he would just wake up. "You'll have the locket. You'll be able to defeat him. You'll be safe, Riddle, you and everyone else."

"But I don't care about that, not if it means I'm without you," Riddle said. He clutched harder at Harry, as though if he held Harry tightly enough, he would not be forced to let him go. "Harry, you don't understand. He—Voldemort—it's all my fault, Harry. I did this. I can't let you pay for my mistakes."

Harry pulled back enough to look Riddle in the eyes. "I don't know exactly what happened," Harry said. "But I do know you, Riddle. I know that monster over there isn't who you are. I promised that I wouldn't leave you, no matter what I saw, and I'm keeping that promise. I'm leaving to save you, because I care about you, and I wouldn't leave you here to suffer if I could do something about it."

"Touching," Voldemort drawled. "How bold of you, Chosen One. To sacrifice yourself for the one you _ love_." The word 'love' was spoken mockingly, and Voldemort turned, frowning at Riddle as he continued, "But I must admit, I am disappointed in you, Riddle. You thought you could keep your true nature from him? You thought you could align yourself with the realm's blessed saviour, when you yourself are so _ tainted_… Why, I'm afraid I might have to spoil this happy little bubble of bliss you've created for yourself… It wouldn't do for dear Harry Potter to give up his life without knowing who he was really doing it for, after all…"

Riddle closed his eyes, his mouth flattening into a thin line.

"Hey," Harry said, reaching up to touch Riddle's cheek. "None of that. Don't listen to what he's saying to you."

"You say that now," Voldemort said. He was pacing back and forth in front of his throne. "He never told you that he made me, did he? Poor little orphan Riddle, afraid of death. Afraid of never finding _ love_," Voldemort spat the last word out again. "As if we ever had a need for such foolishness. He's a vile creature, just like I am. There is no room for feelings in that cold, dead heart."

At that, Riddle reached for Harry's hand, lifting it and placing it gently over the place in his chest where his heart should have been. Where there should have been warmth and life, there was nothing: no heart, no heartbeat, no blood pumping through to the rest of Riddle's body.

"Riddle?" Harry asked, confused.

"He has it," Riddle said quietly, glancing over at the locket that was still draped around Voldemort's neck. "I had to cut it out of me to make him."

"He cut his heart out!" Voldemort repeated, ecstatic. "Ripped the entire thing out of his chest! And now look at him. Pathetic. He's nothing more than a useless wooden soldier." Voldemort waved a dismissive hand at Riddle, who seemed to shrink further into himself in response.

"So you see, Harry Potter, you've sacrificed yourself for nothing. Riddle gave up his heart with the intention of becoming immortal, and in doing so he created me, the perfect version of himself." Voldemort smiled coldly. "For I have no morals, no hesitations, no foolish feelings of love to prevent me from taking what I want, and while he lives, I can never truly die."


	5. The Heart of the Nutcracker

_Riddle reached for Harry's hand, lifting it and placing it gently over the place in his chest where his heart should have been. Where there should have been warmth and life, there was nothing: no heart, no heartbeat, no blood pumping through to the rest of Riddle's body. _

_ "Riddle?" Harry asked, confused. _

_ "He has it," Riddle said quietly, glancing over at the locket that was still draped around Voldemort's neck. "I had to cut it out of me to make him." _

_ "He cut his heart out!" Voldemort repeated, ecstatic. "Ripped the entire thing out of his chest! And now look at him. Pathetic. He's nothing more than a useless wooden soldier." Voldemort waved a dismissive hand at Riddle, who seemed to shrink further into himself in response. _

_ "So you see, Harry Potter, you've sacrificed yourself for nothing. Riddle gave up his heart with the intention of becoming immortal, and in doing so he created me, the perfect version of himself." Voldemort smiled coldly. "For I have no morals, no hesitations, no foolish feelings of love to prevent me from taking what I want, and while he lives, I can never truly die." _

* * *

**Part Five: The Heart of the Nutcracker**

* * *

Sirius, who had been silent during this entire exchange, chose this moment to interrupt. "Is that true, Riddle? We can't kill him until you're dead, too?"

Riddle nodded, looking reluctant. "It's why I knew I had to come," he said quietly. "It's why Harry can't give himself up for me, because I'm going to die anyways."

Harry felt his own heart sink. This was an impossible situation. He couldn't just let Riddle die, there had to be another way. Perhaps they could restrain Voldemort, somehow, if only Harry could give them a way to do it…

"We won't let your sacrifice be in vain, Harry," Sirius said, after another pause. "There have already been too many deaths in this war. You are supposed to be the one to end it, and I have faith that you will. So if you choose to do this, if this is what you think is the best way forward, then I swear to you I will find a way to kill this bastard. And I'll try to find a way to keep Riddle alive for you, if I can."

Riddle had seized Harry by the elbows again, his eyes now pleading. "I beg you, Harry. Do not do this. I have to die regardless, I am telling you this is the truth. If you die, then no one will be able to defeat him. You are the only one with the power to stop him, don't you see? You're special, you can do magic. So you can't give yourself up for me, I won't let you."

"Have faith in me," Harry said to him. "I promise you that this won't be the end for me. If I die here, in this world, I'll still exist in elsewhere. I'm not actually from here, remember?" He took Riddle's hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "I'm pretty sure that I'll survive this, so you don't need to worry about me. An old mentor of mine once called death the next great adventure, and that applies here, too."

Riddle did not look much convinced. "Your mentor sounds like an idiot," Riddle said.

"I've grown tired of this," Voldemort said impatiently. "Your time for farewell is up, Harry Potter. I will give the locket to your precious friends, and you will give yourself to me."

"Death isn't permanent when you love someone," Harry said in a rush, willing Riddle to understand. He recalled the words he'd once said to Tom, to reassure his husband that death was not the end, that it never would be, not for them, not ever.

"The power of love isn't that it stops people from dying," Harry said, pressing his wand into Riddle's palms. "It's real power is that even once the ones you love are gone, their love still exists within you whenever you think of them. It keeps a piece of them alive."

Then, slowly, Harry pulled himself away from Riddle's grasp, forcing himself to keep his eyes fixed on Riddle's anguished gaze.

Harry backed right up until he was standing next to Voldemort, and then Voldemort removed his locket, tossing it at Sirius, who caught it in both hands. No sooner had the locket landed in Sirius' possession, than Voldemort had hissed a directive to his snakes, and Harry felt his hands being bound behind his back.

Then Voldemort placed a harsh hand on Harry's shoulder, shoving him violently to his knees. Harry winced as he landed on the cold hardwood floor, but he kept his mouth firmly shut, not wanting to give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing his pain.

Sirius immediately opened the locket, and a large, round nut fell into his palm. "It's the Crackatook," Sirius said, and Harry had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but he hoped it was a good thing.

But Riddle was staring at the nut with a dawning look of horror on his face as Sirius tried and failed to split the Crackatook open.

"It's not quite that simple, you see," Voldemort said gleefully. "Only the Chosen One can open the Crackatook, and he has now given himself up to me. Once I've killed him, no one will ever be able to crack the nut open, and I will reign over Godric's Kingdom forever."

Riddle was still holding Harry's wand in his hand, and he raised it to point at Voldemort.

"Idiot," Voldemort said. Then Voldemort hissed, and Harry felt a snake crawl up his chest and wind around his throat. "You think you can defeat me?" asked Voldemort tauntingly.

The snake slowly began to contract around Harry's neck, and Harry tried to suck in as much oxygen as he could, while he still could. Riddle's eyes flickered to hesitantly over to Harry, then back to Voldemort. "I made you," Riddle said. "I can kill you, too."

"You are _ nothing_," Voldemort said. "You have nothing. I will kill Harry Potter, and you will submit to me, because there will be nothing left for you in this world—you will be begging me for the sweet release of mindless existence that I offer you."

"I won't," Riddle said stubbornly. "Because my heart still beats, Voldemort. And while it does, there is hope of defeating you. _ Stupefy!_"

The red bolt of light blazed out of Harry's wand, slamming into Voldemort and knocking him backwards into his throne, where his body slumped into a crumpled heap.

Harry immediately felt the snakes holding him captive fall away, as though they, too, had been knocked unconscious.

"Harry," Riddle said, running forwards to grab the limp snakes and toss them aside. "Harry, are you alright?" he asked, skimming his fingertips lightly around Harry's neck, checking for marks.

"Yeah," Harry said hoarsely. He coughed, then added, "I'm okay, I promise."

Sirius approached slowly. He was still holding the Crackatook, which he now held out to Harry. "Open it," Sirius said. "And we'll end this once and for all."

Harry took the nut in hand. Now that he could see it clearly, he could tell that it was no ordinary nut. It was the size of a Golden Snitch, its outer shell was a bit more shiny than normal, and it also bore the same intricate markings as its Quidditch replica did.

Retrieving his dagger from earlier, Harry wiped the blade clean on his tunic. Then, carefully, he tried to pry the shell of the Crackatook open. The shell did not budge, and when Harry tried to apply more pressure, the blade of the dagger actually snapped in half.

Riddle coughed. "You have to crack it open yourself," he said.

Harry looked over at Riddle in confusion. Then he took in the sight of Riddle's ridiculously tall black hat. Riddle's red uniform. Riddle's shiny black boots.

"Nutcracker," Harry whispered in realization. He lifted the nut to his mouth to bite it, but as soon as it touched his lips, the shell fell away, revealing a tiny white carnation. Harry pulled his hand away from his mouth and stared at the flower. It looked… so delicate. As though the smallest breeze would shatter it. It was mesmerizing, and Harry couldn't tear his gaze away from the beautiful, snow-white petals.

"All you have to do," Riddle said softly, from somewhere close by, "is crush it in your hand. And it will all be done, Harry. The prophecy will be fulfilled, and peace will reign across the kingdom forevermore."

But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something pure and innocent about the blossom resting in his hand, and there was—

"Harry," Riddle said, voice tight. "You have to do it. Hurry, before he wakes up again."

Harry frowned, then said, "But you said in order for us to kill Voldemort, you had to die."

Riddle said nothing for a moment. Then he said again, "You have to crush it, Harry. There's no other choice."

Blinking, Harry looked up at Riddle. It was as though he'd been lost in a trance, and the trance was now broken. "This is your heart," Harry said, finally remembering. "This is the part of you that Voldemort said you had locked away."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius said heavily, and he sounded older and wearier than Harry had ever remembered Sirius sounding. He was standing a few feet from Harry and Riddle, and his expression was miserable but resigned. "The prophecy said you had to crush whatever was inside the Crackatook. There is no other way for this to happen."

"Well, screw the prophecy," Harry said hotly. "There must be another way, because I won't kill him!"

Riddle took Harry's free hand and held it against the empty place in his ribcage. "It's alright, Harry," Riddle said quietly. "He's right. I have no heart, I have nothing to offer you that isn't tainted by what Voldemort has done. It is only fair that it ends like this, and I would have it no other way. I would only want it to be you, holding my heart in your hands, knowing that you don't want to do this because you care about me."

"I do care about you," Harry said thickly. "So I can't do this, Riddle. I told you, you're not a monster. You don't deserve to die." His throat felt swollen, only this time it was because he was on the verge of crying, and not because he was being slowly strangled to death by a snake.

Riddle leaned in, once again pressing his forehead to Harry's. "You can do it," Riddle said. "I trust you, Harry. I know it won't hurt me if it's you. You have seen my heart, and it belongs to you."

Harry's fingers clenched tightly at the fabric of Riddle's tunic. The expanse of Riddle's chest beneath his hand felt cold. He wished desperately that it was not so, that he could fill Riddle's chest with the love he knew that Riddle was capable of feeling. The love that he was sure Riddle already felt.

"Harry," Riddle said, and there were tears beginning to gather in his eyes, though he tried furiously to blink them away. "Please, just do it. For me?"

Harry could tell that Riddle was terrified, that he was trying hard not to tremble beneath Harry's touch. And just that thought alone made Harry hurt, because Riddle was trying to be brave for him, for all of them, and it wasn't fair that he had to do that.

Looking at the white carnation, Harry tried to think back to what Sirius had said about the prophecy. Harry was supposed to crush what lay within the Crackatook, and that would enable them to…

"Destroy all but a remnant," Harry said aloud, lifting his head away from Riddle's. "Sirius, you said that if I crushed what was inside, it would destroy all but a remnant of the Snake King."

"Well, yes," Sirius said, sounding confused. "That's what the prophecy said."

Harry glanced back at Riddle, and suddenly he knew what he had to do.

Removing his free hand from Riddle's chest, Harry looked directly into Riddle's eyes and crushed the white flower right into the spot where Riddle's heart should have been.

There was a blinding flash of white light, and Harry heard Riddle gasp. When the ethereal glow finally faded away, Harry could feel the erratic beating of Riddle's heart against his fingertips, and when he removed his hand from Riddle's chest, he noted that the white carnation was gone.

"All but a remnant," Sirius whispered, awed.

Looking over to where Voldemort had been, Harry saw that the Snake King was no more. Only the dark black cloak remained resting upon the throne, and even the unconscious snakes had vanished along with their master.

"Harry?" Riddle asked in a small voice. "I—I _ feel _—"

Harry felt Riddle pull him into a hug, and so he wrapped his arms around Riddle as best he could. "You're safe," Harry said, finally allowing himself to relax. "Everyone is safe."


	6. Once Upon a Dream

_Looking over to where Voldemort had been, Harry saw that the Snake King was no more. Only the dark black cloak remained resting upon the throne, and even the unconscious snakes had vanished along with their master._

_"Harry?" Riddle asked in a small voice. "I—I feel —"_

_Harry felt Riddle pull him into a hug, and so he wrapped his arms around Riddle as best he could. "You're safe," Harry said, finally allowing himself to relax. "Everyone is safe."_

* * *

**Part Six: Once Upon a Dream**

* * *

Some time later, Harry found himself back at Godric's Castle. He knew that they had ridden back here, but he could not quite remember having done it. The dream was now starting to act like a proper dream, Harry realized. Which meant that he was probably going to wake up soon.

Riddle had gone to talk to Sirius for a short while, and though Harry did not know exactly what it had been about, Riddle seemed a little stunned as he walked back over to Harry. So Harry had asked Riddle to take him somewhere private so that they could talk.

The two of them, Harry and Riddle, were now sitting on the roof of the castle. Riddle had picked a place where they could see the mountain ranges in the distance. Even further off, he could make out the shapes of other castle-like buildings, likely that of faraway kingdoms.

Riddle was holding Harry's hand again, though he had not said more than a few words since they'd left Gaunt Manor together. Harry supposed it must have been very jarring to suddenly have your heart shoved back into your body after years of not having it. But there was a rosy hue to Riddle's cheeks now, a splash of colour that Harry hadn't realized was missing before.

"It's nice here," Riddle said. "I forgot how much I liked living at the castle."

"It feels like home," Harry agreed.

"Sirius is letting me stay," Riddle added, like he couldn't quite believe it. "He said he was proud of me."

"You should be proud," Harry told him. "You were really brave back there, Riddle. None of us would have made it out of there without you." Come to think of it, how had Riddle cast the Stunning Spell? Everyone had been so amazed by his magic that Harry had assumed he was the only wizard aside from Voldemort that existed here. Riddle had even given Harry back his wand before they had left the castle, as if he was worried about holding it longer than necessary.

"How did you manage to stun him?" asked Harry.

Riddle bit down on his lip, then said, "I only copied what you did and said from before. It wasn't anything important."

Harry examined Riddle's expression and decided that he didn't really need to know the details. He was content with the way things were.

After a beat, Riddle said, "Harry, I feel like I owe you an explanation."

"You don't," Harry told him. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."

"I want to," Riddle said. He was quiet for a moment longer, and then he started to speak again, "I was born and raised in an orphanage. My whole life, I thought I would never amount to anything, that my background would always cast a shadow over my aspirations. I wanted to be different, to be noticed, to be _ seen_."

Harry gave Riddle's hand a reassuring squeeze, and Riddle turned to look at him, his gaze warm and full of affection.

"As I grew older, I grew more afraid of falling into obscurity." Riddle frowned at that, but continued on, "I joined the King's army because it was the only place that would take me. My plan was to work my way up the ranks, to make a name for myself the only way I could. I grew a taste for bloodshed, for the power I earned from wielding a sword. The desire for power started to consume me. I began to search for ways to make myself more powerful. To make myself immune from the shame of my failures."

"But power comes at a cost," Harry said softly, and Riddle nodded.

"It does. Eventually, after nearly a decade of searching, I found what I was looking for. An old spell book that detailed how to make yourself immortal, if only you were willing to sacrifice your humanity to do it." Riddle's expression turned sardonic. "You can only imagine how thrilled I was. How naive. Thinking that immortality would solve my problems, that it would fill the gaping hole I felt in my chest."

Riddle lifted his free hand to his chest, as though to check that his heart was still there. "So I set up the ritual, sure that this would be what at last allowed me to reach my full potential. But I think, even then, some part of me must have known that what I was doing would only lead to ruin, because the spell failed partway through, splitting me in two. It was the most incredible agony, Harry. I didn't think I was going to survive it. Death would have been kinder than the pain I went through, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"When I awoke, he was there. Voldemort. He was both everything I wanted to be and everything I hated, all at once." Riddle inhaled deeply, as though shaking himself of a bad dream. "But I loathed him from the moment I met him, Harry. I want you to understand that. Voldemort was not the solution to my problems; he was only the start of a new, more dangerous one. When he realized that I would not join him, he stole the locket from me and fled into the forest.

"It was shortly thereafter that he began his reign of terror as the Snake King. In my horror, I fled this castle, the one place I have ever called home. I knew people would recognize me in the face of that monster, and I did not want to see the judgement upon their faces when they realized what I had done. I lived on my own for years, wandering the forests and hunting wild game, only occasionally stopping at villages to rent a place to stay for the night. I was too afraid to go back and face the villain I had created. At least, I was, until I met you."

So Riddle was magical, then. He simply had no wand to channel his magic through and no Hogwarts to teach him how to use it. "You didn't mean for any of this to happen," Harry said. "There was no way to know that the spell would create Voldemort, or even what Voldemort was going to do."

"I still have a good deal to atone for, Harry, but thank you." Riddle smiled again. "Sirius has graciously allowed me to rejoin the castle ranks, so I'll be able to help him rebuild what has been destroyed here in Godric's Kingdom."

"I want to help, too," Harry said immediately, though he was unsure if he would actually be able to, as he was bound to wake up eventually. But Harry had never had a dream this long before, and though he longed to go back home, to Tom, he was also determined to make the best of his stay here.

Riddle lifted their joined hands, pressing his lips to the back of Harry's fingers. "You've helped me a great deal, Harry. And I can never repay you for that. You gave me a chance to redeem myself, and you showed me that there is more to life than being seen by the world, because the true world is the one I make for myself."

"You deserve that," Harry said seriously. "You deserve a good life, Riddle."

"Sirius said he was thinking of making me his heir," Riddle added softly. "After everything I've done, could you imagine? He said that he thinks I would make a good ruler, someday. I told him all that time spent as my dog must have gone to his head, but he only laughed at me. And gave me a hug." Riddle's face scrunched up. "Did you know, he still smells a bit like a wet dog, even now?"

Harry laughed. "I can only imagine. But I think Sirius is right, you know. You would make a good ruler someday, because you're willing to do what is best for your people, and that's what's important. Besides," he added, "I think Prince Riddle has a nice ring to it, don't you?"

"Perhaps," Riddle said, but his back straightened slightly as he did so.

As they sat for a few more minutes, Riddle released Harry's hand so that he could slide his arm around Harry's waist, and they continued to watch the progress of the sun as it rose up and over the mountains.

"You have to go back soon, don't you?" Riddle asked.

Harry felt his shoulders fall a little. "I think so." They sat quietly a while longer, and then Harry finally worked up the courage to ask, "Will you be okay here?"

Riddle nodded slightly. "I think so," he said, echoing Harry. "I will miss you, though."

"I'll miss you, too," Harry said honestly, because Riddle reminded Harry of a younger version of his Tom, of a time when Tom had been unused to feeling things and accepting those feelings.

"But things will be alright," Riddle added. "And life will go on. Because I will have you here, with me—" Here Riddle touched at where his heart now resided, then continued, "—and you will have me there." He moved to place his hand against Harry's chest, where Harry's own heart was beating steadily behind his ribs.

"That's right," Harry said softly. "I will." He reached for Riddle's free hand, tangling their fingers together again.

"You said the name 'Tom'," Riddle said. He was looking back out at the mountains, his expression peaceful. "When you first saw me. Does he live with you, where you come from?"

"Yeah," Harry said. Then he added, "We're married. We've been married for over ten years."

"And he looks just like me, right?" Riddle said, nodding to himself. "That's alright, then. He'll take good care of you for me."

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Apparently in any world, real or not, Tom was always a narcissistic, possessive idiot. He opened his mouth to tell Riddle so, but the world was suddenly rather foggy. The mountains, which had been so crisp only moments ago, now looked like blurry piles of snow.

Blinking, Harry tried to refocus on his surroundings, but he could feel everything slowly slipping away from him. Riddle was here, though, and he was still holding Harry's hand. He was also looking at Harry again, his expression now one of melancholy.

Harry felt a pang of sadness at leaving Riddle behind, but he knew, in his heart, that everything in Godric's Kingdom would be okay, because Luna's prophecy had deemed it so.

"Kiss before you go?" Riddle asked, his cheeks warm and alive with colour. When Harry nodded, he leaned in.

Their lips met only briefly, a soft touch like flower petals, and Harry felt himself finally fade away.

* * *

This time when Harry woke, he knew he was really awake. He was lying in bed, and Tom—his Tom—was already hovering over him, ready to start fussing.

"Harry?" Tom asked. "Are you awake? Are you alright?"

"Yes," Harry said. Then he tried to sit up, and found himself blocked from doing so by Tom's hand on his chest.

"You might have a concussion," Tom said in a rush, his other hand stroking lightly at Harry's forehead with a damp cloth. "I didn't want to cast any spells on you while you were still unconscious. You've been asleep for hours. I was going to take you to St. Mungo's."

"I'm fine," Harry said. His head was throbbing again, but the pain was more manageable than it had originally been earlier, which was strange to think about, so he let that slip away for now. "I just—I had this really weird dream." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I think it's because of those damn gauntlets, come to think of it."

Harry tried to sit up for the second time, and was once more blocked from doing so by Tom's arm. Tom dabbed with the cloth at Harry's forehead again, ignoring Harry's attempts to swat it away.

"The next time Sirius comes to visit," Tom said, still holding Harry down on the bed, "I'm going to cast a Permanent Sticking Charm on them, so that he can't get rid of them. Those things are more trouble than they're worth." Tom put the damp cloth down somewhere out of Harry's sight, probably to re-soak it in water.

"I'm fine, really," Harry said, reaching over to touch Tom's arm. Then he pulled back the covers, gesturing for Tom to get into the bed with him.

Tom moved back to loom over Harry, his eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're alright? You really gave me a scare."

Harry gave Tom his best offended look, then patted the space beside him. If Tom wasn't going to let him sit up, then Tom needed to come closer so Harry could grab onto him properly.

"Well, you're not allowed to go to sleep for a while yet," Tom said seriously. "If you do want to sleep, I'll have to set an alarm." He slid into the bed, wrapping an arm around Harry as he did so.

"That's fine," Harry said, smiling at his husband. "I want to tell you all about the weird dream I had."

"Oh?" Tom asked, looking amused.

"Yep," Harry said. "You were dressed up like the nutcracker. And Sirius was your best friend."

Tom scowled, but he snuggled up closer to Harry anyways, resting his head down upon their pillow. "I can already tell that I'm not going to like this dream one bit," he said. "So we might as well get it over with while I'm still feeling sympathetic towards your injury."

"It all starts in a place called Godric's Kingdom," Harry began. "Where a handsome man named Harry Potter fell out of the sky and was discovered by another man named Riddle, who was dressed up as a nutcracker soldier. Just in case you forgot what that looks like: he was wearing a really tall black hat and a bright red uniform—"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Harry—"

"—you have to let me tell the story, Tom, I'm injured, remember?"

"Fine. But stop telling the story in third person, it's disturbing."

"Right. So where was I? When _ Harry Potter _ woke up, he was told by Riddle that he was what they called 'The Chosen One', and that it was his destiny to defeat a villain called 'The Snake King'..."

_ **THE END.** _


End file.
